The Big Apple is enjoying a strong summer with tourism and last weekend's Independence Day proved people really do love New York. Hotels were packed in Manhattan, amusement parks were bustling in Brooklyn and tourist attractions in all five boroughs were enjoying long lines of paying customers.

A survey conducted by the New York State Hospitality and Tourism found that when polled, 74 percent of hotels claimed that occupancy was better than, or as good as, when compared to last year's holiday weekend. Over 72 percent of amusement parks and attractions saw better traffic than the same time period a year ago.